Airbnb Scam Warning Signs: Protect Your Short Term Rental with BNB Guardians

How to Spot Airbnb Scams Before They Cost You

Scammers are getting smarter—and sneakier. Whether you're brand new to Airbnb hosting or already juggling multiple properties, recognizing red flags early is essential to protect your short-term rental business. At BNB Guardians, we’ve seen it all—from fake bookings to phishing emails—and we’re here to help you stay one step ahead.

This guide breaks down the most common scams targeting hosts and gives you the tools to keep your listing, income, and sanity intact.

Why Scam Awareness Is an Essential Airbnb Strategy: Airbnb Scam Warning Signs

If you’re focused on Airbnb optimization or scaling your rental income, protecting your account and property from fraud is just as important as smart Airbnb pricing or guest reviews. Scams aren’t just annoying—they can wipe out your earnings, hijack your listings, and damage your reputation.

We teach hosts to integrate scam detection into their Airbnb management systems, and we do this inside our Airbnb coaching program and Super Host Academy. Here’s what you need to watch out for.

🚩 Red Flags in Airbnb or VRBO Inquiries

Be cautious when you see any of the following in a message:

A request for the exact address before booking
A message that seems overly formal: “Hello dear,” “Kindly reply,” etc.
A new guest account with no reviews or ID verification
Mention of payment by check or requests to book off-platform
A generic message with no reference to your actual property
Pressure to communicate outside of Airbnb or VRBO (e.g., WhatsApp)

🔒 BNB Guardians Tip: Your full address is automatically provided to guests after they book. There is no reason to share it before that.

Common Scam Tactics (and How They Work)

Scammers are getting creative. Here’s what they might try:

Phishing emails that mimic Airbnb or VRBO to steal your login
Copying your listing and posting it on fake sites like Craigslist
SIM-swapping scams where they hijack your phone number and use it to gain access to your accounts
Bogus refund requests after a stay claiming fake issues
Fake inquiries fishing for personal information or trying to get a refund before they even book

🚨 One of our hosts had their phone number stolen and linked to a scammer’s PayPal and Amazon accounts within minutes. That’s why account security should be part of your Airbnb strategy—not an afterthought.

How to Protect Yourself as a Host

Before a guest books:

Never give out your exact address, phone number, or personal email
Use photo editing software to blur house numbers in your listing images
Rely on Airbnb’s "approximate location" map setting
Don’t accept payments off-platform—even for "overpayments" or checks
Check the guest’s profile for red flags: no reviews, no ID, no verifications

When a guest has booked:

Send a welcome message, but don’t send access info until 1–2 days before check-in
Keep all Airbnb guest communication on the platform

For added security:

Enable two-factor authentication on all host platforms
Update passwords regularly
Make sure your contact info is current in your account settings

Recognizing Fake Emails from Airbnb or VRBO

Not every email that says it’s from Airbnb is legit. Here's how to tell:

Look for typos, urgency language, or unfamiliar senders
Never click on suspicious links—always go directly to the platform to verify
Real Airbnb emails will come from @airbnb.com and start with https://www.airbnb.com when linking
Airbnb also logs all official emails in your host dashboard—check there if you’re unsure

✅ If you accidentally click a scam link:

Close the browser
Open a new window and log in to Airbnb or VRBO directly
Change your passwords immediately
Enable 2FA

Can I Ever Share My Address Before Booking?

The only exception might be long-term guests asking for a tour. Even then, we recommend:

Offering a video tour via Zoom instead of an in-person walkthrough
Verifying their identity and intentions before giving location details

If someone says their “friend is staying next door” and they want to compare properties, ask for the confirmation number of that booking. Otherwise, it's likely a phishing attempt.

How BNB Guardians Helps You Stay Scam-Free

At BNB Guardians, we teach you how to spot Airbnb scam warning signs before they become costly mistakes. Our Airbnb coaching and Skool community are designed to help hosts build smart systems that scale—from Airbnb listing creation to optimized guest screening—all while staying protected through hands-on Airbnb management.

We teach you: